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Yolkshire
The Republic of Yolkshire, also known as Yolkshire, is an island state located in the Sub-Antarctic Islands. It has a close proximity to the Republic of Margate. Its rather small population of 8.55 million converses in English, which is also the official language of the country. However, different segments of the population are able fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay. The metropolis of Yolkburne, which is home to a population of 6.85 million Yolkshirians, is also the capital city. Abundant in few natural resources except for timber and natural gas, the country’s economy primarily relies on the services sector. Since its corporate tax rate is a mere 1%, it has a reputation for being an offshore financial centre, which acts as a tax haven for many multinational corporations and wealthy individuals. It is also one of Antarctica’s largest ship registers, as merchant ships flying the Yolkshirian banner are subject to lax regulations and exempt from paying taxes. Yolkshire is also renowned as a tourist destination for two reasons. Aside from having a pristine countryside (equivalent to The Cotswolds of England in real life), a capital famous for its beautiful classical architectural styles, and an artisanal food and coffee culture (similar to Melbourne in real life), it is also known for being a sin city. Various vices, most notably prostitution, gambling and narcotic abuse, are legal in the country. Thanks to an abundance of attractive prostitutes, the prices for sex services in Yolkshire are among the most expensive in the world. Yolkburne is also home to several of the world’s largest casino resorts. Despite the general tolerance of vices and the country’s free market, the country is one of the most draconian in the world when it comes to enforcing laws. Political freedom is also relatively low compared to other countries, as insulting the President is an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and up to 666 strokes of the cane. Economy The country’s is mostly reliant on the services sector, with small manufacturing, agricultural and mining sectors. Its primary forms of services are financial and professional services. Multiple banks and financial institutions are incorporated here as the financial services sector is subject to little to no regulations. Most notably, banks are allowed to make speculative investments by using the client’s deposits (although clients have the right to opt out). This contrasts with the United States of Antarctica, where banks are not allowed to engage in proprietary trading. The deregulation of the finance sector enables financial institutions to maximise their profits, although there are measures in place to ensure that they aren’t outright defrauding their clients. The largest domestic bank in the country (and one of the top 20 largest financial services companies in Antarctica) is the Avaritas Banking Group, which is owned by the Mason political dynasty. There are also strict banking secrecy laws in the country, which enable shady clients to hide their ill-gotten wealth in numbered bank accounts. Yolkshire also has a reputation for being a tax haven due to its flat corporate tax and income tax rate of 1% (however, the effective tax rate is 2% due to an additional 1% “Presidential Tax” that is levied on high-salaried creatures and all corporations). This gives rise to a large number of law firms and audit firms in the country. Most, if not all, Yolkshirian accountants possess professional qualifications. Meanwhile, Yolkshirian lawyers are also knowledgeable in the laws of countries such as the USA, Puffle'and and Margate. This enable them to easily deal with clients from said countries. The country manages to attract talented professionals from other countries due to its low tax rate, which gives them a higher disposable income. Yolkshire is also known for being a hub for tourism. The rural countryside plays a contributing factor to the number of tourists that it receives daily, thanks to its pristine natural beauty, Puffish-style villages, historical market towns and stately estates. It is also a prime location for outdoors sports such as hunting, golfing, cricket, horse-racing, cycling and football, giving rise to a rural gambling industry. Yolkburne itself is home to a number of casino resorts, brothels and drug dens, all of which are legal. In the 1970’s, the Yolkshirian government came to the conclusion that legalising narcotics and prostitution was the only way to reduce incidents of drug overdose and STD’s. This gave birth to the country’s reputation as an “island of sin”. Sex services in Yolkshire are among the most expensive in the Fanon World. This is due to its high number of attractive and professional sex workers. Since many of the country’s indigenous penguins are known for their natural beauty, a considerable number of them opt to become sex workers. The production of pornography is also a huge industry in the country, mostly due to the reason above and the abysmal tax rate. As a result, Yolkshirian pornography is notorious across Antarctica for its professional camera techniques and quality. Ironically, it was this that gave birth to a booming cinematic industry that appeals to a more general audience. The outsourcing industry is also a huge revenue generator for the country and one of the most common employment opportunities for indigenous Yolkshirians who did not get to join high-paying corporations. A range of jobs, ranging from data processing, computer programming, software development and technical support in the IT sector, business process outsourcing (which includes customer-related services like contact centre services and back office roles such as accounting) and knowledge process outsourcing (most notably legal services, equity research, creative animations and designs, business research and consultancy). The country’s manufacturing sector primarily revolves around manufacturing plants built by multinational corporations in order to produce manufactured goods for the country’s population. Yolkshire’s manufacturing sector is predominantly light industry as manufactured products are catered towards consumers. The food, pharmaceuticals (mostly generic drugs) and textile industries are dominant in this aspect. A number of branded clothing stores have set up manufacturing operations here that rely on cheap indigenous labour. Some Castillan, Francterrean and Ligurian couturiers have even outsourced the task of making their products to skilled indigenous tailors. Ironically, this made it cheap for Yolkshirians to own certain clothing labels, for instance Adidas, H&M and Nike, even after taking the country’s high Goods and Services Tax into account. There are also some plants that convert petrol-fuelled automobiles into vehicles that can run on both petrol and natural gas. In this aspect, the Yolkshirians are in a league of their own. The Port of Yolkshire City is considered to be an important stopover for many merchant ships on their way to Margate. As a result, the port also generates a considerable amount of revenue. In addition, it is also used to export excess consumer goods and import goods not manufactured locally. The country’s agricultural sector is primarily based at the countryside. Primary crops include barley, beans, rapeseed oil and wheat, while the raising of sheep, cows and pigs is also essential. The country’s coastal areas, especially those far away from Yolkburne, are home to the country’s fishing sector. In the city, there has been a rise in urban agriculture in recent years that primarily cultivates organic fruits and vegetables. Rooftop gardens, underground gardens and vertical farms are utilised in this instance. Despite that, the country is still reliant on imports for exotic food produces. The country’s only natural resources are timber and natural gas. Unlike the rest of the economy, the extraction of these resources is heavily regulated for environmental purposes. In the past, the country was reliant on the export of natural gas, which helped to generate significant amounts of funds to build Yolkburne’s beautiful classical buildings. However, it is mostly extracted for domestic consumption in recent years. Due to cheap gas, most of the country’s automobiles run on natural gas. Government Yolkshire is officially a presidential republic, although in reality it is a benevolent dictatorship. Executive, judicial and legislative powers are heavily concentrated on the Presidency. The President, who is the head of state, government and the military, holds office by commanding the Parliament’s confidence. Since the 1950’s, the Mason family has dominated the top position. The current Mason member to be the President is Slender, who has served since 2011. On the legislative side, the President possesses the rights to initiate legislations in Parliament or referendums, grant assent to Parliamentary bills, appoint or sack the upper-house Senate. He also has the right to dissolve the lower-house National Assembly. On the executive side, the President has the powers to form the Cabinet, appoint and sack Ministers, government officials and agency heads, and implements policies. The President also has the right to appoint or sack judges, overturn any court decision and to act as the ultimate judge of the country. The President also possesses a number of authoritarian powers granted to him by the Constitution. For instance, he is allowed to issue arrest warrants arbitrarily, death warrants (after consulting the Supreme Court), order for the detention of creatures without trial for up to 5 years, order the wiretap or surveillance of anyone, sentence creatures to corporal punishment of up to 20 strokes of the cane and declare martial law (allowing him to rule by decree). Despite the President’s constitutional powers, most of these powers are rarely used, as it would result in the President’s popularity plummeting. There have been instances of the country’s elite overthrowing power-abusing Presidents, which was how the Mason family got into power in the first place. As a result, all Presidents from the family have a hands-off policy when it comes to ruling the country. Executive functions are often delegated to a Prime Minister, who is either a judge or a legislator in either houses. The legislature consists of the lower-house National Assembly and the upper-house Senate. The National Assembly, which has 103 members, is elected every 7 years. The Senate, which has 50 Senators, is completely appointed by the President from members of the elite (especially the patriarchs of old-monied families) and indigenous Yolkshirians. Legislative power mostly resides in the National Assembly, with the Senate playing a mostly ceremonial role. The legislature’s most important power is its ability to oust the President. To do so, over two-thirds of the National Assembly and one-third of the Senate must approve of the President’s impeachment. Additionally, if the National Assembly voted to oust the President but the Senate did not, the National Assembly can pass a nationwide referendum to oust the President if over 50% of the votes decides to impeach the officeholder.